Samsung PX2370 - Design & Features

Crystal and LED

When checking out the monitor for the first time, one thing that's bound to grab your attention is the monitor's unique crystalline neck and stand - a 'bling' factor that would certainly help sway buyers interested in the Samsung PX2370 in its favor. The monitor's screen is also surrounded with a transparent border, completing the chic and futuristic look that Samsung seems to be going for. The aesthetic design of the monitor is extremely elegant to say the least, and definitely looks like it's fit to be the focal point in your living or bedroom. One major drawback to the design however, is the monitor's overall glossy black body that is extremely susceptible to fingerprints, dust and grime - regular maintenance is absolutely required if you want to keep it spic-and-span.

The PX2370 sports a visibly thin profile, with a flat black and no extra bulge, a common characteristic amongst LED backlit monitors.

The assemblage is easy enough in theory - simply fasten the neck onto the base and lock it after screwing it on -, but It took quite a while for us to get it fixed, and the process was cumbersome in all honesty. As mentioned in the picture captions above, the setup is relatively wobbly and unstable. It certainly seems like the visual design of the monitor was put ahead of all other aspects. As such, if you do get this monitor, get it setup in your most ideal position and don't meddle with it thereafter. Like the HP 2310E that we reviewed earlier, the device cannot be swiveled, nor be adjusted to your desired height, but it can be tilted. However here again, when the screen is tilted, it would end up wobbling considerably for a couple of seconds.

Navigation is a trickier affair than most screens. While we are used to controls being prominently located on the front. PX2370's buttons are tucked inconspicuously at the back on the right hand of the monitor. While the placement of the buttons kept the monitor looking streamlined and 'clean', it took a while for us to get used to toying with the controls, but aided by Samsung's on screen control instructions, the experience was made a little more tolerable.

Connectivity-wise, the ports are placed centrally at the back of the screen, just above the spine of the monitor. The usual suspects include: the DVI, HDMI, Audio Out and even Digital Audio Out. It is an added bonus to know that there's the option of plugging in an external auditory gadget like a pair of headphones or speakers.

Features

The monitor's GUI is slightly confounding, with options that are organized in a haphazard way and presented in a less-than-intuitive onscreen display. Primarily, there are four control tabs which you will find yourself utilizing besides the info tab:

The main bulk of customization is accessible through the Picture tab (as seen above). The usual settings like Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness, and Color, prevail. In here, you can also find the MagicLux option, which acts as an ambient light detector and adjusts the monitor's brightness dynamically (you can choose from low, middle, and high sensitivity options). Others include the MagicBright option (this is where you can select to enable Dynamic Contrast), MagicEco option and the MagicAngle option that purportedly expands the viewing angle of the LED screen. Other minor customizations include switching on auto-or manual-sourcing, and choosing between a transparent or translucent menu background.

Strangely, you can also access the brightness option straight from the second tab - the only option, for the matter, that is available on it. The third tab from the top contains a condensed rehash of what's available, for e.g., users can choose to change their MagicBright, MagicLux, MagicAngle, MagicEco options here as well. Do note that if an option from either MagicBright or MagicLux is selected, the brightness control is rendered unselectable.